Purpose
Digital signage managed by Student Center & Event Services serves as a visual communication medium to inform students, faculty, staff, and visitors about events and activities occurring at the Student Center. Standard information displayed includes (but is not limited to): programs, meetings and activities held in the Student Center; up-to-date weather information; campus news; television feeds; important current events; campus facts and emergency messages.
Secondarily, digital signage offers the opportunity for campus organizations and University of California departments to publicize events or broadcast announcements that are of student interest or student-oriented in nature.
Digital signage may also be used on a limited basis for sponsorship announcements associated with University events.
Locations
Digital signage displays are categorized as “public” or “dedicated” and are located throughout the Student Center in strategic areas to capture a wide audience.
Public Displays
These displays in the Student Center broadcast the standard information described above, as well as student-oriented content originating from UC Irvine campus organizations and departments within the University of California system. Content from external clients may be displayed on a limited basis with the approval of the Director – Student Center and Event Services. Public screens display a maximum of fifty (50) slides or messages per rotation cycle. Requests may consist of no more than three (3) slides or messages displayed concurrently.
If the total number of requests exceeds fifty (50) slides or messages, content from registered student organizations will receive first priority. Remaining submissions will be prioritized according to relation to the University’s mission, time-sensitivity of message, campus-wide scope of involvement, and interest or relevance to student audience, subject to approval by the Director of Student Center & Event Services.
Sponsorship announcements related to University events may be considered for public display on a limited basis, if space permits. Such content will only be displayed with the approval of the Director – Student Center and Event Services.
Dedicated Displays
Dedicated screens only broadcast internal content approved by the Director – Student Center and Event Services or their designee.
Content
The creation of content for digital displays requires consideration of technical, legal and aesthetic factors. The technical considerations relate to the system’s capabilities and limitations. Legal considerations relate to compliance with appropriate copyright laws. Aesthetic considerations relate to making any digital slides and digital videos visually interesting and effective. Aspect ratios for displaying, graphic readability, balance, color, software compatibility, graphics, backgrounds, etc. will also be evaluated, when applicable.
Content that violates Digital Signage Policy or does not meet the Minimum Digital Signage Content Requirements will not be posted.
The Director – Student Center and Event Services and/or their designee, reserves the right to refuse, edit, or remove digital signage content for any reason. Appeals should be directed to the Student Center Board. Please mail appeals to:
The Student Center Board
University of California, Irvine
A311 Student Center
Irvine, CA 92697-2050
The board will send a response 14 – 30 days after receipt of an appeal.
Minimum Digital Signage Content Requirements
Event-Based Public Content
Only events with date, time, name/title and location of the event in the Student Center will be posted. Events occurring outside of the Student Center may be displayed if:
- space permits and
- the event is student-oriented
Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
PSAs must be intended for student audiences and may not:
- Endorse a political issue or candidate.
- Contain religious content.
- Promote or condone behavior that violates University policies and/or values, or local, state, or federal law.
- Encourage the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages or of tobacco-related products. Announcements that do not promote these products but encourage moderation and responsible use are permissible.
- Infringe on the copyrighted or trademarked works of others. Copyrighted and trademarked materials may include, but are not limited to, logos, digital images, photographs, paintings, movies, videos and written works.
- Include commercial advertisements for businesses, organizations, entities or individuals not associated with the University.
Content that does not fulfill these requirements will not be displayed.
Sponsorship Announcements
Sponsorship announcements may be displayed on a very limited basis when:
- related to events or activities occurring within the Student Center that are sponsored by a University department or campus organization and
- digital signage space is available.
Sponsorship announcements must follow the guidelines established by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Digital content of this nature must comply with the following criteria:
- Cannot conflict with existing campus contracts;
- Cannot imply the University supports a specific viewpoint, product, or company; and
- Must allow the University to add a disclaimer when deemed necessary by the Director – Student Center and Event Services or their designee.
Sponsorship announcements that meet IRS guidelines are exempted from unrelated business income tax assessment and may be used as further defined in the digital signage policy. Sponsorship announcements are generally those where a payment is made to a tax-exempt organization with no expectation of substantial return benefit other than the use or acknowledgement of the donor’s name, logo or product lines in connection with the activities of the tax-exempt organization (e.g., the University). University Counsel will issue guidelines for use by University faculty, staff, and students to determine when a message constitutes advertising versus sponsorship.
Income received from sponsors for announcements, where permitted, should be used to defray the costs of the item/program in which the announcement appears or for the activities of the department or organization concerned. The amount of payment shall be determined in advance and may not be based on a volume of sales of any merchandise or other services resulting from the placement.
